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BMW Mini Countryman Has 5 Star Safety

The BMW Mini Countryman has earned 5 stars in the latest European crash test results. It was awarded for its array of standard safety equipment as well as its pedestrian protection measures – a standard not typically evoked in the United States. The 5 stars, the most available, should indicate the Mini Countryman will seem similar scores from the National Highway Safety and Transportation Administration (NHSTA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Among the attributes that the Mini Countryman was lauded for was its ability to protect occupants in a front collision at speeds up to 40 mph. According to Mini, “[T]he passenger cell of the MINI Countryman proved to be extremely stable. Irrespective of the size and sitting position of the passengers, only a slight risk of injury was detected.” The Mini also scored the highest number of stars possible in the side impact testing. Rear-end collisions got high marks, too, with investigators determining “risk of injury to the cervical vertebrae in a rear-end collision as low.”

The active safety technology contributing in the Mini Countryman includes Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), ABS anti-lock brakes, Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Brake Assist and Hill Assist. The MINI Countryman also has a runflat indicator as a standard feature. This system monitors the tires and uses a visual signal in the on-board computer display to alert the driver to any tire damage.

The Mini Countryman also has body elements with yielding structures at the front of the car, which help reduce the risk of injury to pedestrians and cyclists. The testers awarded the maximum number of points for the front bumper and front-end elements with regard to the risk of head injury to children in the event of a collision.

In the US, the Countryman will be available in three versions – Cooper Countryman, Cooper S Countryman and Cooper S Countryman with ALL4 – all of which will be available in early 2011. Final pricing will be announced at a later date, but the base MSRP for the MINI Cooper Countryman will be $22,350 (including $700 D&H), and a well-equipped MINI Cooper S Countryman with ALL4 will be less than $30,000.